A number of conceptual links exist between bicycles and airplanes, so it is not pure coincidence that mechanical flight was invented by experimenters knowledgeable about bicycles. Many things contributed to the Wrights’ success with flight, but their familiarity with bicycles clearly was a factor.

Wheeling is just like flying!

James Howard Means, editor of the influential journal, The Aeronautical Annual, published an article in 1896 called “Wheeling and Flying,” in which he suggested a link between bicycles and flight:

“It is not uncommon for the cyclist…to remark, Wheeling is just like flying!… To learn to wheel one must learn to balance; to learn to fly one must learn to balance.”
James Howard Means

Connections to the Airplane

In designing their airplane, the Wrights drew upon a number of bicycle concepts:

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The central importance of balance and control.

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The need for strong but lightweight structures.

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The chain-and-sprocket transmission system for propulsion.

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Concerns regarding wind resistance and aerodynamic shape of the operator.